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In January, Sony Mobile of Japan unveiled the world’s thinnest 10″ tablet in the form of the waterproof Xperia Tablet Z. At the time I was certain it would launch stateside alongside Sony’s Xperia Z smartphone, and today at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Sony has confirmed it will indeed hit U.S. retail this Spring.

Xperia Z Multi-Angle View | Image: Sony

To the best of my knowledge, the Xperia Tablet Z is the thinnest tablet to date at a sexy 6.9mm. Apple‘s iPad Mini clocks in at 7.2mm.

Aside from a beautiful design which thankfully ditches the wedge shape of its predecessor, Sony’s new tablet can be immersed in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes without any adverse effects. Admit it: secretly you’ve always longed to tote your tablet and Netflix into the bathtub with you.

Is this a gimmick? Watch CNET’s Eric Franklin dunk it in water and judge for yourself.

Xperia Tablet Z Front-Facing View | Image: Sony

“Xperia Tablet Z reinforces our intention to be a leading player in the premium Android device market, by building on the principles established by Xperia Z and perfectly optimizing them for the tablet form factor,” says Kaz Tajima, head of UX creative design and planning at Sony Mobile Communications.

The Tablet Z will run Android 4.1 Jellybean at launch, but Sony promises a timely update to 4.2. It also has a number of Sony technologies baked in: Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, One-Touch NFC functionality focused on easing content transfer, and a suite of Sony apps. Also included is an IR blaster for using the device as a universal remote.

It also carries a reasonable price tag: $499 for the 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB version. A white model will be exclusive to brick-and-mortar and online Sony Stores. On paper, this looks like a very appealing and competitive piece of hardware.

Here are the standout specs from Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z announcement:

10.1” Full HD 1920x1200p Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2

The world’s thinnest 10.1” tablet at 6.9 mm* and lightweight at 495 grams

Dust and water resistant (IP55 & IP57) with a durable glass front display

Built-in universal IR remote control can control Sony and other manufacturers’ consumer electronic devices

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I actually liked the looks of the outgoing Tablet S, which was easy to hold with one hand because of its wedge shape and light weight. But, the wedge design also hinted it would be hard to pack. Sony went in the exact opposite direction with the Xperia Z Tablet but it was the right direction–portability is key, so having class-leading thin-ness will probably be a deal maker for most people. I mean, the thing is 2.5 mm thinner than the iPad 2–that’s a 30% improvement! You could cut a ream of paper with it! Not to mention thinner than an iPad mini and any Samsung tablet. By the way, since the Pope is in the news, it’s worth mentioning that he was photographed turning on Christmas lights at the Vatican with none other than a Sony Tablet. Sony wasn’t behind the photo, but this should remind it that Sony has an image of being a bit stodgy and behind the times. Simply put, Sony needs to up its marketing campaign.